Though they should have seen the signs (I sure spread out a lot of clues), we only play once each third or fourth month. Old men and women tend to forget, for in between there are lots and lots of days of stress at work and home.

So, perhaps I am to blame. Perhaps I should rejuvenate their memory, jolt it, before each session.

- Charge of the steppe hordes: The characters are caught in the poor section of town as the steppe hordes attack once again. The horsemen charge through the tents, decapitating and disemboweling, as well as skewering civilians on their lances. "A beggar tried to run from a savage horseman, but it was an exercise in futility. Soon the mounted warrior was upon him, and the confused look upon the beggars face was almost ridiculous as the lance pierced his chest, ripping through the front of his skirt in a crimson geysir".

- Link to the Prophecies Campaigns: While stealthily entering the mansion of a mark, they discover an "Other One", an ancient being of evil roaming through the villa. This will probably utterly terrify them, but the Other One will soon depart (after achieving his goals). Chances for an easter egg and a future rescue of the adventurers they played earlier (now stranded somewhere in an island archipelago).

- Moral dilemma: The Dark Priests require a sacrifice for their Steam Golems (they are powered by human souls). These sacrifices cannot be just anyone, for only beautiful and pure virgins will do. As the characters walk on the thieves' highway they spot a crying maiden being dragged by black robed priests down on street level. If they rescue her she will be grateful and a future ally, but a Steam Golem will not be able to help the PCs out during a skirmish with the Steppe Hordes. Also they will kidnap and sacrifice a little child instead.

- In dreams they dream of a necromancer among the staff on Temple Hill Asylum. In their dreams they dreamt that he abducted inmates and twisted them into maddened undead servants - Gibbering ghosts or mindless zombie lackeys. If they choose to pursue this dream, they will discover more than they bargained for. (Unravel dark network at play in the asylum. If they are careless they will end up as inmates themselves).

1. A warning delivered: A young man has inherited his family business and proves to be unwilling to cooperate with the lady of thieves. His father was so much wiser, but the young man is but a youth. He will need to be warned of the consequences of his actions. The group needs to evade guards and either: A) brand his daughter with the crescent insignia of the guild, B) Capture the young man and remove his left pinky finger or C) steal the family heirloom, a painting by a famous painter passed down in several generations

2. At the Museum of Steam a certain relic resides. This relic is important to the loose organization of thieves, and to the lady of Shadows in particular. It is the mask of Zhengzhao, the first Master of Shadows. Reputedly granting shadow-merging abilities (this is but a myth). The new lady of shadows want that mask, and she wants it bad. She will use whatever leverage she has to force some thieves and cutthroats to get it for her.

Around the lady of shadows men always use strange, noble speech. Coming from beggars and cutthroats it sounds most unnatural, IS most unnatural, but they cannot help themselves. They treat her like royalty.

The lady's beauty is breathtaking. Stunning. Men get wobbly knees, women feel plump and grotesque.

Friday the first of february, 2008:Intro: - Violent dream in which they "awaken" to the thudding of an explosion. They do not remember anything, but are thrown into a wall by a forceful blast. Inform them that their HP are ultra low.- A dogged fight against madmen, screaming prophets, Other Ones (an ancient race the players fear) and finally a dark, hooded figure. This hooded figure will "kill" them, and they will awaken. They will not see his/hers face.- The dream takes place in the Tower of the Maddened Moon, the infamous tower of Temple Hill Asylum.- When the PCs awaken, they will hear receding footsteps. They will find leather dolls on their chests and a bowl of cat piss under their beds.- During breakfast they will be approached by a member of the shadow guild, Tornhat, who will inform them that they are requested for a number of assignment. He will carry an unusually large leather pouch. As it turns out it is filled with GOLD, as opposed to the usual bronze and rare silver.

Mission One: 15 goldA warning delivered (see earlier this thread)

Mission Two: 30 goldMuseum Theft (See earlier this thread)

Mission Three: 50 goldAssassination in the slums: A rogue organization has been operating in the slums. It is led by Black Veran, a northern city-stater with a reputation as violent and brutal. His band is small, but well organized. They operate from the red pavillion in tent town. They are armed with crossbows, daggers, clubs and short swords. They favour brown clothing and grey cloaks.

The PCs will have to kill Black Veran and his three lieutenants at the red pavillion, a huge tent in the slum. Fortunately crates filled with contraband and loot has been stacked inside the tent and sneaking is an option.

Epilogue:- Going to sleep, the PCs will "awaken" in a cell somewhere (the Temple Hill Asylum). The hooded figure will approach the bars of their individual cells and inform them of their imminent deaths. They will see maggots falling from the shadows of his hood. Then he disappears and the doors to their cells are open (if they check). After fighting some madmen they face the hooded figure again and once more they are "killed". This time they notice blonde hair under his hood.

Saturday the second of februrary, 2008:Recap:After having frightening nightmares (foreshadowing the overarching meta plot) the party chose only the first mission (listed above), instead letting the remaining two be taken by other thugs.

The mission was a success, the players buying noble silken clothing for 7 gold and getting a body rub at a public steam bath for 3 silver. Fully dressed like natives of the Ruler City (where the mark lived on the outskirts), they entered the gardens of the mechant. The Shadow Mage called to shadows which created unnatural darkness, the shadows stretching and embracing the assassins as they climbed the facade of the mansion before entering on the second story of the building.

They came into a nursery chamber where a worried mother sang a sad lullaby for her four year old daughter. Choosing not to harm the daughter they exited the chamber and ascended the stairs. Evading one guard and garrotting the second they entered the chamber of the master of the mansion. His entertainment was in the form of young boys, which both were knocked out quickly. Using a rope as a garotte they choked the young master of the mansion until he fainted. Then they removed both his pinky fingers, robbed him of jewelry and escaped.

Consequences:The Lady of Shadows have now chosen the adventurers as her champions, even though they do not know that. They only know her by reputation as a frightening and beautiful woman (she is using all her female charms to keep control, she is spreading mysterious rumours about herself and creating connections wherever she can. She wants to know who killed her beloved Beggar King (while some people think she did it, that is entirely false). The PCs will likely think she is false and dangerous for a good while, this is not true however.As told they opted to save the girl and instead went for her perverted father. This impressed the lady of shadows and told her volumes about their character. These are skilled men that are able to do some grisly tasks, but they are not homocidal maniacs. These are men (and women) that may be of use.

Intro: Today's adventure starts with the epilogue listed above (we did not manage to get that far). Once again the PCs will die in dreams. The Shadow Mage has discovered that the leather dolls and cat piss is in reality abjurational - protective magics in place to shield them against soul warping dream magics.

When they awaken they will eat gruel for breakfast (unless they use some of their new wealth to buy something more filling) and then there will be someone knocking on the door. It will be Thornhat coming to congratulate them and tell them a new assignment is ready for them. They will need to show up at Punishment Square in the Gloom, 5 o'clock sharp. (Punishment Square is where convicts are lashed and hung. You can also buy fruit there).

Five minutes later the someone knocks again. This time it is trouble; family members have arrived. This is fat, bald uncle Aure and thin, sour lipped aunt Araxia. In tow they have their three fat, spoiled sons, Po, Pei and Pu. They insist on sleeping over, "just for a night or so" (of course it will be for longer). Soon aunt Araxia will begin to complain about the smell (cat piss under the beds, as it is protective magic they won't remove it) and she will attempt to tidy up. I will play these relatives as pesteringly as I can and they simply refuse to leave. The truth of the matter is that uncle Aure's caravan company went bankrupt, the old drunkard unable to detect massive embezzling and fraud. So, while uncle Aure raids the adventurer's licquor stores, thugs are out to collect the family dues. As family members the PCs better pay up! (of course they won't).

Optional Mission:When they arrive at Punishment Square they will witness a public flogging, enthusiastic bystanders cheering and eating fruit. It is the Yu Wong, a sometime colleague, that gets twenty lashes of the whip by a masked muscle man.

Shortly thereafter, as they grow somewhat restless, they are approached by an elderly old woman bearing apples in a basket. She will give them each an apple, and once they have paid she will direct them to an alley by the market.

In the alley they meet a short, wiry man wearing a dark grey cloak. He will applaud them on a mission well done, though he will say it was unfortunate that a guard had to die.He will then give them each an unremarkable iron ring. "A gift from the lady of shadows", he proclaims with a shrug.

He cannot answer any questions about that, simply saying that he knows as little about the lady as they do. He does however have an assignment for them. An assignment that requires the utmost discretion.

One of the former lieutenants of the Beggar King, Shan "The Terror of Fish Market" Leng, has gone rogue and no longer supports her cause. However there is an ally within his organization and the lady of shadows wants the PCs to assist him in taking over the guild operation at Fish Market. Of course there are several fish markets in the city, but there is only one "The Fish Market".

They will not get to know who the contact is. All they need to do is to kill Shan Leng, an obese elderly man with a long, white beard and bald pate. The members of his bodyguard are fair game, being easily distinguishable in their black lacquered chain mail. Their orders are to avoid harming anyone else.

Fish Market Base:The thugs at Fish Market dwell in the "City Supervisor Office", Shan Leng being a corrupt official. Every individual inside that building has both an official and an illegal affiliation. Officially they supervise the quality of the merchandise and the price requested by the merchants. Illegally they extort, bribe and demand extra fees from merchants and local residents. Even the guards are members of the city watch as well as members of the shadow guild.

Special Requirement:The Lady of Shadows wants the head of Shan Leng. She wants it wrapped in the linen of his bed and she wants it within one week.

Reward:They will be rewarded with 80 gold pieces upon completion of the assignment. They are also allowed to loot the Supervisor Office. It is important that it looks like a murder robbery.Twists:- The lady's man wasn't promoted. It seems the Steam Council elected to send an official from another department to take charge of the Supervisor Office. Time for the players to get their hands dirty... again!- The lady's man was murderer! Those PCs forgot the words of caution and what do you know? They actually managed to kill the poor sod. Now they are out of her good graces and the GM can fast forward half a year with no assignments and dwindling fortunes. After half a year later they are approached once again.- Pestering uncle: Ol' Uncle Aure is in dire need of help and has stalked after the PCs to the Supervisors Office. At a critical moment he intrudes, asking for money and booze (he knows what they are doing and he picks just the wrong moment so they will be stressed and give him what he wants).- Glimpse into the future: In one of the rooms on the second story a strange man is staying. His clothes are dark blue (a colour indicating demon worship in the Steamwork City), but he is not a demon worshipper. He has a sword on each hip and has even given them names (Laurang and Simmer). Should the PCs face him, they will learn that he is a master of the sword, specializing on dual wielding. (Of course they have already been cautioned against fighting others than Shan Leng and his bodyguards). If the guest, whose name is Lennars Kimoyhn (of the northern ports) detects the PCs causing trouble he will attack and might very well kill one or three before he falls or flees. Later in the campaign the PCs will learn more of blue clad envoys such as Lennars; members of the "Order of Ansmarch", an elite organization in the spirit of the "Illuminati". Of course the Order of Ansmarch is behind the defection of the Fish Market guild operation.

Side quests:- Kidnapping (priests kidnapping young girl - see above)- While walking on the thieves' highway, the PCs spot trouble makers in the streets below. Huge crowds are gathering and are torching hay carts and looting merchants. The crowds are getting bigger and bigger and after an hour a fully fledged riot is on its way. The PCs might make some easy money during the riot, if they choose to. The riot is also an excellent diversion for their assassination at the Supervisor Office. The cause of the riot is lack of fresh food (because of the ravaging steppe nomads that roam the steppes outside the Steamwork City). After about 9 hours of rioting, the combined might of the city guard and mercenary companies crack down on the rioters. The mercs get to keep whatever they can from their victims, so they will be wanton in their cruelty.

Colour:- Domestic scenes: -----> From their lofty perch the PCs discover a particularly noisy fight. Looking in the window they see an old couple scream and shout, the woman throwing pottery and the man stepping threateningly towards her.-----> A young couple can be seen making love in an appartment-----> A kid is playing with his wooden knights when the PCs run by. He notice them and after a second of thinking he continues playing.-----> An old man is sleeping in his chair

- Street scenes:-----> A thief runs through the streets, chased by a mob.-----> A band of adventurers return from a mission. Their cart is filled with bronze and silver, several swords and shields visible atop the loot. One of the adventurers, a knight in battered armour, seem to be in considerable pain.-----> A sword juggler cuts himself badly when his timing is off

Aftermath:The PCs decided to focus on their weird dreams. The assassination of Shan Leng went far easier than I had planned.

The assassination:Approaching the granite building housing the Supervisor Office, the PCs opted to remain outside the Fish Market square, on top of the bordering buildings. For many hours they scanned and surveyed, having to relocate once as angry rioters torched the store they were hiding above.

Finally, after hours of waiting, they noticed Shan Leng in the window of the Office and the Shadow Mage unleashed telekinetic force, battering the hapless city official into his own office wall. The force of the impact broke his neck, shattered his bone and beat his right hip and arm into a pulp.

"How are you gonna retrieve the head now?", I sarcastically asked.

"Easy dear GM", the mage player replied, "we will wait until his body is carried to the temples for burial, and then we are gonna ambush his honour guard".

It was a flawless plan and the ambush went perfectly. Once again using his telekinetic power, the plan played bowling of sorts, using the rear guard as a ball which he throttled into the others. Three out of eight guards were out of play and the archers and crossbowmen of the group finished off another two. Then the Shadow Mage engulfed another guard in dark flames and the remaining two bodyguards broke and fled. Meanwhile the corpse of Shan Leng had fallen off his stretcher, the bare skin of the corpse visible beneath the white silken funeral sheet he had been wrapped in. Thus the PCs sawed off his head and went home, happily collecting the 80 gold they had been promised.

NOTE: While the PCs have learnt that the lady of Shadows favour them, they do not trust her. They are wary but unwilling to dismiss such a powerful potential ally. Their main guild contact is Hathorn, who arrives at about 6 am once in a while.

Troubling Dreams:Their sleep remained troubled however, and each time they fell to sleep they "awoke" in the same location: The Tower of the Maddened Moon (also called the wailing tower). They discovered that the mysterious footsteps they heard around their sleeping bodies, actually belonged to the former master of the Shadow Mage. A visit revealed that the former master was in a coma, books about dreams and dreamscapes laying open upon his office table.

The Shadow Mage was learned in dream lore, so he lay down beside his master and fell asleep. Once more he "awoke" in the wailing tower, this time overhearing a conversation between "The Dark One", the character in charge of the dream tower, and a blue clad individual. Their conversation was about an inmate that had apparently slipped out of their grasp as he awoke too early.

Making his way to the top of the tower the Shadow Mage found his former master in the most secluded cell. He was unable to open the door, it having been shut from the inside rather than the outside. "Go away, I am not interested in your threats and offers", the master said, but when he discovered that his pupil had arrived, rather than the master of the tower, his disposition changed.

"Flee, flee for your life my son" he warned, but the Shadow Mage remained and they spoke briefly. Apparently some witch, Shinastra of the swamp, was learned in dream lore and maybe she could help. The master did not want to escape, for he knew it would attract the lord of the tower and they would both be dead. If they were to save the Irang, the Shadow Mage Master, they had to approach Shinastra and request her aid. "One more thing", he said, "know that this place is important. You always find yourself here, and that is for a reason".

Awaking in the bedroom of his master, the Shadow Mage took his friends and left for home. But not before he had spoken with the smith landlord and arranged with him that he'd feed and nourish the comatose mage with soup and water. For this service he would get a copper a day and one gold after 14 days. The overwhelmed smith gladly accepted.

Back home they once more fell asleep and with his dream lore skill, the Shadow Mage teleported them out of the wailing tower and to Shinastra's Swamp. There they discovered that Shinastra was actually a fair skinned, red headed foreign devil. She was also a beautiful woman. As witches are wont to do she bedded the men and then imparted her knowledge to them. They learnt of the three severing circles that, once drawn on paper or chiselled in stone, would sever the connection between sleeping body and dreamscape. The PCs had finally found a cure for their nightmares. "But", she cautioned, "the Dark One is a master of the dream arts and he can enter the dreams of others. He can make them rise in their sleep and thus even your neighbour might turn into a deadly assassin". Lastly she laughingly dismissed their belief that only cat piss would deter hostile spirits from controlling their sleeping bodies. "Any powerful smell will deter the dream spirits from controlling your body while you sleep", she said and thus the PCs got rid of their bowls of cat piss and started using perfume instead.

When they arrived at the Master's appartment, they found the smith dead with a slit throat, and the Shadow Master was dead as well. His lower jaw had been cut away, tearing a solid portion of the throat off as well. Later, in dreams, the Shadow Mage observed the Dark One triumphantly throwing the lower jaw to the floor of the master's former cell. "I told you you'd never escape", he said. To this a ghostly voice replied: "I curse you, dark one".

The Shadow Mage counselled with his friends and they brought Ang-Ansuhl, the sacrificial dagger, with them from the master's chambers. What Ang-Ansuhl really is, and how they utilize him, is as yet beyond their knowledge. (GM comment: They know it is teh cool, and that is enough :p).They then put the smithy in which he rented the appartment on fire and ran away on the rooftops.

NOTE: The PCs do not understand why they are having these dreams, nor why the dark one troubles them so.

Family Trouble:Uncle Aure and aunt Araxia arrived with Po, Pei and Pu. As it turned out there was a city law that stated that debts are held, also by the family. As it turned out two accountants, Tran Fei and Xau Trang, had embezzeled the caravan company for a considerable amount of money. The old drunkard, uncle Aure, had been too intoxicated to notice.

What this meant for the players was that Uncle Aure's debt of 14.000 gold pieces was also theirs (a preposterous sum, the players have only had as much as up to 1.000 gold pieces at any time in my two decades of GMing). The authorities could easily approach them and confiscate their home and property to cover for Uncle Aure's debt. The PCs were NOT PLEASED (they were having a great deal of fun though, but not IC). After leaving on a mission aunt Araxia had found their hidden stash of loot (she is used to searching for uncle Aure's bottles of licquor and is excellent at searching). She used two gold to buy a rocking horse for Po, Pei and Pu, as well as turkey dinner, new cutlery, new plates and perfume. The PCs were furious.

Thoroughly frustrated with their family problems the PCs approached Dao, a caravan driver formerly in Aure's employ, and he told them how Aure had been played for a fool. Apparenty Xau Trang had been the mastermind, manipulating the elderly Tran into transfering large sums of money to their own private property. Nowadays the two former accountants lived in vast mansions inside the "Ruler City", though they had severed all contact with their former friends (most of whom lost their jobs when Aure's Caravan Company went bankrupt).

At that point they began asking their shadow guild contacts for passes to enter the Ruler City.

The Order of Ansmarch:- The PCs have noticed the blue clad guest of Shan Leng organize the bodyguards into an effective fighting force (versus the rioters).- The PCs have spotted a dark blue clad envoy speak with the Dark One in dreams, but they did not make the connection.- The Order of Ansmarch is as yet an unknown.

Ending:A thief guild contact told them that several factions were looking for them. Firstly city officials were looking for any relatives of Aure, formerly of Aure's Caravan Company. Secondly pale skinned northerners in chain mail were looking for the PCs in particular. "They looked like the murdering kind", the contact told them.

At the end of the session, the players went home after having torched the appartment of the Shadow Master. When they came home they were greeted by nervous family members.As it turned out the city guard had walked down the street screaming about rewards for information leading to the capture of Aure and any relatives.

Later that night aunt Araxia spotted several neighbours gathering outside the PCs home in the Gloom. As it turned out they were dream controlled by the Dark One and soon their home was under attack. Uncaring about personal safety, the neighbours crashed through windows and shutters, armed with kitchen knives and pokers. While easy one on one, the sheer amount of neighbours proved to be too much and as the Shadow Mage tapped deeply into his magic, he accidentally created a magic rift. This rift was to both fire and dark essence and the fallen neighbours arose once more, this time as fiery undead. A three way fight erupted and the PCs were forced to flee.

The night ended with the PCs fleeing from their burning home. They gave 20 gold pieces to Uncle Aure and Aunt Araxia, plus the three brats Po, Pei and Pu. The hapless family members promised to leave town on the first caravan, and to assume new identities in the north. (REMEMBER TO USE THIS IN THE FUTURE)

Ideas for the next session (April or something):- The Elven Conclave (Do not expose them as elves. Only as mysterious cloaked individuals of extraordinary skill).The purpose of interweaving elves (who are supposed to hide in their archipelago) is to mix the "Prophecies Campaigns" with the new campaign. To give a sense of continuity and familiarity. The Elven Conclave will include outcasts from the archipelago; wary, but good natured elven individuals. Keep them low key and keep the encounters rare).

- Night of the crimson tides: The Order of Ansmarch strikes through a pawn organization (come up with one), forcing the Lady of Shadows on the run (she and her retinue will approach the PCs for shelter. She will have means, so supporting her will be tempting. She is also a tremendous burden as the Order will stop at nothing). Shortly after the underworld has new rulers and a number of city officials are assassinated in quick succession. After this the order will withdraw their control, the city rulers will retaliate against the underworld and the Order of Ansmarch will place pawns in important positions throughout town. The PCs will be able to influence whether the lady shall regain power of the shadow guild, or wait. If they wait they will see the wisdom of their action as the city guard kills everyone of importance in the organizational structure.

Preliminary brainstorm for the October sessions:- Weave together the different shards into a coherent whole: The God-Wyrm, the Order of Ansmarch, the face-eaters and the nomad clans.- Foreshadow the enemy within Dreams. Depict the Dreamer as a raging storm sweeping over the Dreamscape.- Introduce the three ravens, the messengers of the Khuiros Coven.- The Order of Ansmarch stages a coup against the ruling council. If successful the city will be without the support of the Steamwork Golems- If the order is successful, the city will be sacked by the Nomad tribes whose raping, pillaging and razing will destroy many, many quarters of the huge city. (The militia will be in chaos, the Priesthood and their Steamwork Golems will be in hiding, the Golems inanimate, and the city watch will be reorganized by the Order)- Allies! The Shadow Guild, as battered and torn as it is, will be approached by allies. Drawn by the unconscious beckoning of the Arch-Mage Black Icon, the Salt Star Mercenaries (Elves in disguise) and "The Gloom" City Militia commander will arrive, suggesting a temporary alliance and joining of forces. - A favour owed! While fleeing the ravaging storm within dreams, the PCs will be approached by an avatar of the Goddess of the Moon. She remembers their promise, and she reminds them of their fealty. She will explain that "in troubled times that come, they must find the lost boy within the slums, and they must guard him with their very lives against all danger, until such a time comes, when the dead wakes and the darkness is lifted".

Random Encounters:- The man by the mill: While traveling outside the city, the PCs encounter a man hanged in a mill. Maggots crawl from his belly, insects fly from his nostrils, but still he seems alive. In a moaning voice he barely manages to say: " 'ware the adders in the dark", before life flees him. Unbeknownst to the PCs the mill is haunted and the man is really a ghost. If they decide to stay (it IS nice shelter against that approaching storm, after all), the ghost will summon ghouls from the nearby graveyard at midnight (the ghost is a Deadspectre, a rich noblewoman (and not a man after all) who was killed here by her impatient heir. She can be put to rest only by the slaying of the descendant of her heir, one Eru Xu, the Merchant of a Thousand Swords). The ghouls will assault the mill, scaling its walls and entering through open windows, the cellar door or the front door. They will keep coming between midnight and dawn. If the PCs manage to bolt doors and windows, they will try to enter by tearing off planks on the leaky roof, then climbing, hanging upside down, descending the beams.

What happens if the Order of Ansmarch isn't successful? Do the nomad tribes still assault the city (with the PCs more than likely getting caught and recruited to fight off the seige)? Or is the sacking of the city simply an attack of opportunity?

Well, obviously the PCs will get a chance to fend off the coup. It will be a very hard thing to do, but they are up to the task.

If the order isn't successful, the nomads will still try to assault the city (the order has paid them to do so and they are unaware whether the coup is successful or not).

The city will still be in turmoil after the coup attempt, and the walls will be undermanned.

However:A) The soul driven Steamwork Golems will come to the rescueB) The armies will move towards the walls.

So it all depends on how skilled the city watch are at guarding the walls. Once again the PCs will play a role, and with their newly acquired allies it is possible that they will even fight on the walls (though they ARE thieves, not soldiers).

The main weapon of the PCs will be subterfuge - Disrupting the chain of command and killing off key personell among the enemy.

These sessions will be played with warfare, explosions and murder as the backdrop.

The lost boy in the slums:The PCs will search and search, but to no avail. There is no lost boy in the slums. There are a number of urchins though, and orphanages galore, but in the end no obvious choice will present itself.

One late night, when the moon is full, a male PC will be separated from the rest, and he will be set upon by foes (that fit the occasion). When the rest of the PCs find him, he will look strangely young in the moonlight, almost like a boy drenched in the blood, and he will be hard pressed, retreating step by step, trying to not get completely surrounded (I hope... Up to the PC, I better pick one of the smart ones).

This then will be their lost boy, and thus the PC will have a central role, one that he does not understand yet.

(Introduce tattoos here, as I did in the coldforged forum RPG. The "boy" will have a moon-seared tattoo on his neck (only visible in the light of a full moon)).

The Good Ol' Sorcery too Great for thee plotIn the heart of the city district only known as 'The Gloom', because of its sheltered position between Temple Hill and the city wall, where the sun rarely shines (and because of the cries of the insane from the sanatoriums on the slopes of Temple Hill facing 'The Gloom'), there is an estate nested between the ramshackle slum buildings. A black cast iron fence keeps the undesirable elements of this city district out, the rabid doberman watchdogs making sure no one climbs the fence and enter the gardens.

This is the abode of the plantation owner Feng Rashul, a man rarely seen entering or exiting his dark abode. In fact there are catacombs beneath the city, and some of the subterranean corridors of these catacombs lead straight below the estate. It is through these corridors Feng Rashul and his cultist followers travel, for Feng is anything but a simple plantation owner. Feng Rashul is the High Sorceror of Anashur**, the Champion of Xaor*** and the Chosen Disciple of the late Master Hun Shen.

While watching the movement of the shapeshifters, the Face-Eaters, that has so haunted the guild, the PCs discover messengers delivering messages between a Face-Eater stronghold and Feng Rashul's mansion.

Intercepting any of said messages will reveal brief out of context notes. The messages will say things such as: (From Face-Eaters to Feng Rashul's Cult)

Quote

"We agree. The requested service will be carried out, but first we need a sign of your sincerety. On the morrow of the great festival you will leave a bundle of your prize products on the steps of merchant Lu's weaponshop. Following this delivery, the requested service will be provided"

"It is as you say. Master Agoros, the Many-Hued, Favored of Anashur, has yet to return from his previous activity. We therefore suggest that Adept Benuin, Firemage of the Second Circle, fill his role in this most critical venture. As ever our foes are vigilant, in spite of being decimated. We will launch a grand attack on their remaining forces in perfect synchronization with this most vital endeavour. Feed your dobermans by the grand iron gate tomorrow morning if you agree"

(From Feng Rashul's Cult to the Face-Eaters)

Quote

"The master has decided that your services are required now, rather than at the appointed time. Our lord stirs in his eternal sleep, as well you know, and the tremors of the ether occur more often than before. It is of utmost importance that you understand this, and that you understand that the cost of failure is as high as the payment which you require. Do not let anything get in your way, not even lyour dealings with the order of Ansmarch must interfere."

"We agree to your terms. Everything will happen during the grand festival. Your final payment will be delivered at midnight, on Coyote Hill, by the old sacrificial altar of the outlawed Hun Shen Cult"

Feng Rashul's EstateNotes to self:- Ashes of the forefathers: The Rashul Bloodline's remains are kept in glossy vermillion ceramic urns, their base encircled by newly plucked bluish and red coloured orchids. If things look grim for Rashul he will attempt to withdraw into the ancestral temple, where he will call upon his forefathers. Three ghosts will answer his call (flesh out the ghosts).

Because here I can brainstorm and vent my ideas without the need for formatting, rereading and all that nonsense. Here I can be creative, no strings attached.

I do not wish the contents of this thread to be moved without my consent. I will move it when I have the time, which is not very often. Please respect this.

The Curse of Potter-TownThe Guild Master has been approached by a client offering the guild 300 gold for the elimination of the Warlock Deng Arun, master potter of the Guild of Potters. Should be fairly straightforward.

It is not. The Warlock and his four apprentices have been cursed, transforming them into the "Nex Derja, The Apostles of Wrath". The Nex Derja walk hinged, almost on their knuckles, and their once human faces have been impossibly contorted into beastial, snarling visages of hatred and intentions most murderous. The Nex Derja stalk the shadows, climb steep walls, often jumping thrice their own height, whilst whispering empowered words that send listeners into near sleep, or sometimes drive a deep fear into their souls, before they burst from the shadows, tearing at the hapless victim with inhuman strength, their teeth gnawing and gnashing at windpipes, claws rending the skin.

The client knows of this, but has neglected to tell the guild representative this, knowing well that the price would multiply fourfold. This is in violation of the contract, but it would prove difficult to prove anything. Only the Guild Master's client representative has meet the client, and the PCs have never even met him/her (the representative). If questioned by the Guild Master, the representative will say that the client seemed a bit nervous, as if wanting to finish the negotiations early. This enabled the representative to press the prices, hence the huge reward (150 Gold Moons for the Guild, 150 for the assassins).

Into Potter-TownThe Quarter of the Merchants District known as Potter-Town seems oddly quiet. The few people met outside seems to hurry away when the PCs approach, and the first they manage to get in contact with will be a corpse, shred to pieces, horribly so, his legs ripped loose from the abdomen, as has the arms and head. (Nex Derja has done this). As the PCs enter the Potter Guild, the stench will be unbearable, the source quickly revealing itself: tens of torn corpses, half gnawed, fully mutilated. They have entered the Den of the Nex Derja.

The Nature of the CurseThe Guild Master, the Warlock-Potter Deng Arun, was once married to a beautiful woman. Her name was Ajin Enu, and for years all was well. It was the year Deng turned forty that he had an affair, a sexual thing with a young apprentice and soon they were the talk of the guild. As such things are wont to play out, Ajin was the last to hear, and her heart broke. She tried to get Deng to talk, but his lied would not end, and in the end she found love within the arms of another: Maq Xao, a city guard ten years younger than the aging Deng.

Ajin had decided to leave Deng, to flee his abode under the cover of night, but she was found out, perhaps she even wanted to be found out, and sobbing she revealed everything to Deng. What had she hoped for? Perhaps to win back his heart, or to balance out his sins, enabling them to go on, blemished but equal. Perhaps she dreamed of him crying, begging forgivance, begging her to stay, so they could go on with their lives, the love they once had. Yes, perhaps she dreamed of this, but it was not to be.

His heart turned dark with hatred, his thoughts churning, balking in the face of this most treacherous deceit, Deng Arun slammed his elbow into Ajin's nose, instantly breaking it, its sickly crunch heard even outside their room, droplets of blood on the antique wallpaper. Shocked, aghast, Ajin recoiled, but Deng would not relent, already harnessing his sorcerous power, wrapping her soul in ethereal chains. With a silver candlestick he smashed her skull, the left side of the face caving in. Ajin was dead, but her soul could not move on.

Chest heaving, breath heavy and heart pumping, Deng, the Master potter, sat down at the Potter's wheel. Soft clay was shaped into a thin, tapering vase, whereupon her soul was bound to the item. After having baked in the kiln, it was lacquered black. Drink that has been in the vase for more than a day will dishearten any imbiber, filling him with hopelessness, grief and a profound sense of futility.

Maq Xao is the source of the curse, for when Ajin never returned, never came outside to his waiting arms, he realized something horrible had happened. For weeks he fluttered about the building, a relentless phantom, a frantic madman. In the end he learnt of her fate as he overheard apprentice potters whisper about her fate as they left the building.

Despondent, dejected, he cried out as he collapsed by the outer Guild wall. He smashed his head into the stonework, blood soon flowing. As the Guild guards came to remove him, carried him away, he uttered his curse, his voice dead as stone, flat and emotionless. The words were not impressive, but his tone was, for he meant every single word, promising the guilty of the Guild a fate appropriate to their actions.

Solving the assignmentThe client, who is not Maq, wants the Guild cleared. As a matter of fact she represents the survivors of the Guild who wants an end to the madness and business started anew. Little does she know that with blood on her hands, she will be responsible for actions such as those committed by her Guild Master. As a member of the Guild she will inherit the curse should the players successfully cleanse the guild. But no one knows of this.

Should the players prove conscientious and lift the curse (before killing the target or not, most probably they will), the curse will not be inherited.

Lifting the curse requires reuniting Ajin's vase with the now buried body of Maq. If they enter his tomb and place the vase in his embalmed embrace, why, the curse will have lifted.